Pembroke H.S. cheerleaders shine at Regional Champiionships

Wednesday

The Pembroke High School cheerleading team has been working extremely hard since August, and the results are showing on the competitive side.

While most Pembroke sports fans see the cheerleaders perform during sporting events, including football, they also compete in Division 2 competitions.

This season, the team has won its way to the State Championship Meet on Sunday Nov. 18 at Franklin High School.

“This has been a big change for us this season,” said coach Maureen DeRito, who is in her tenth year coaching the team. “We moved up from Division 3 and we are facing some strong, talented teams with great athletes. We also have some strong and talented athletes.”

To qualify for the State Championship meet, Pembroke placed third in last week’s Regionals.

Last year, Pembroke won the Division 3 Regionals.

One thing the team can lean on is experience, with a senior-laden foundation.

“We have seven seniors,” DeRito said. “So we started strong, but we also had some younger kids coming up, including some freshmen. We felt we could put together a good routine.”

Cheerleading, like most sports can be fluid with a game plan, and that was no different for the Titans.

“We started choreography in August,” DeRito said. “As in any sport, there are injuries and changes. We finished first at a couple of meets this season and had the highest score in Pembroke history. It was great. Along the way we made changes. In five competitions we had four versions of the routine, depending on who was on the mat at the time.”

Competitions might be one of the easier parts of the package.

“We cheer at all football games, home and away,” DeRito said. “We drowned out there at Quincy Friday, and it was cold, but we’re out there no matter what.”

DeRito said this has been a special season.

“It is an exciting time,” she said. “Pembroke has been to the State Championships in four of the last five seasons. Before that I think they only went once.”

The championships are Sunday Nov. 18 at Franklin High School.

Pembroke is scheduled to perform at 11:15 a.m. and doors open at 9 a.m.